When non-sufferers hear the word they likely think of the usual headache, a dull throb cured by over-the-counter medication, nothing a quick nap can't fix.

But for those who do experience this chronic disorder, it is all too apparent how debilitating a migraine can be. These are not just annoyances, a poor excuse to stay home or cancel plans; they often are debilitating, nauseating and sometimes frightening.

Where a nap may cure the usual tension headache, for a migraine we're instead confined to hours in a dark room, accompanied by an array of remedies that rarely work. Eye masks, heating pads or ice packs perch unsuccessfully on our foreheads or temples, as we demand silence and absolute darkness. Waves of pain break on the shore of our skulls like earthquakes.

Many are struck by bouts of nausea, sound and light sensitivity that comes on quickly and without warning, all confining us to our subsequent prison, be it the bedroom or dark office.

Dimming the lights, we long for everyone to talk a little more quietly, hoping no one decides to wear cologne or perfume, which could send us back into the throes of pain just as we're beginning to feel better.

When the fog lifts, we're left, sometimes for days, with varying degrees of migraine aftermath. Our eyes often tell the story best, as dark circles frame bloodshot lenses and we wear sunglasses wherever appropriate, or not.

In those days that follow we fear a recurrence and a sneeze with equal measure, our heads like heavy bags holding an explosive waiting to detonate.

Many rely on prescription medications as prevention, but these are often daily tablets taken to avert the onset of a migraine, rather than pain relievers used immediately as an episode strikes. For others, a daily prescription, along with its potential side effects, is not worth the nuisance for a seasonal migraine attack, and so over-the-counter treatments offer minimal relief.

Despite our best intentions, sometimes these pills don't work. In the face of modern medicine, age-old triggers still demonstrate their power, from the weather to stress, from hormones to hereditary disadvantages.

As remedies fail or cease to work, some sufferers are left only to look for understanding and acknowledgment, hoping that eye rolls don't follow knowing nods under the assumption we're being overly dramatic about allergies or a passing cold.

And while we attempt to explain our personal struggles with migraines, we wonder if the listener comprehends our predicament, if they themselves suffer, or perhaps they know someone else who does.